Karen Galer has been an educational assistant for 25 years and 15 of those years she spent them in inner city schools. The diverse communities had an influx of students with learning disabilities as well as behavior issues in the schools. Students like this are often included in a regular classroom, but then sent with an educational assistant to either the back of a classroom or into a completely different room so that they do not disrupt other students. According to Galer inclusive classes work better in the younger grades because students and more accepting, however the social skills gap becomes bigger as the students enter higher grades. An educational assistant is supposed to follow a program that was made by the teacher that follows the student's Individual Education Plan. Most of the time, the educational assistant is making up the plan with little to no help by the teacher. At Parkview, the educational teachers and teachers work together as a team as well as become the person that the child can trust. She believes that the school boards need to realize the potential of an educational teacher and use the skills they gained in a more effective way.
This article is very true. Educational teachers went to college to get a degree and are good at what they do. I think it is sad and disappointing that in some schools the teachers and educational teachers do not work together to help a kid with a learning disability. In a way it is kind of disturbing. This article helps back up why we need teaching assistants in classrooms. I believe they are a great thing to have they just need to collaborate with the teacher in order to give the student the help and education he/she needs. I think this could benefit any school not just Rhode Island schools.
Teaching assistants (TAs) should supplement rather than replace teachers. They should not be used to make up for the lack of time a teacher spends with a disabled student, but rather allow a teacher to spend more time with these students by supporting the rest of the classroom. According to this article, TAs have the most positive effect around three or four months of extra academic help is their interventions are in small groups and formal. The TA needs to work in a high support structured setting. Interventions usually happen outside of the classroom so it is best if teachers could correlate the content of the interventions with the lessons that they are teaching.
This article makes a lot of good points on how TAs can be successful and work correctly. I love everything about this blog. I have been in a classroom where there was a TA for someone with a learning ability and the teacher did not even speak to the student. She did not want to give the student any attention and made the TA do all the work which is completely wrong and absolutely disgusting. Just following the advice and good tips in the article will help the student and truly make a difference. The main goal is trying to help the student and to allow him to succeed. I think the TA and teacher need to have good collaboration and be on the same page at all times. TAs are extremely important to have in a classroom and they are needed, but it has to be done properly.
Teaching assistants (TAs) have become the way to support students with disabilities rather than a way. This is especially happening with students that have severe or low-functioning disabilities like autism, behavior disorders, and multiple disabilities. According to this scholarly article, there are mixed findings about the success of TAs. Some reports show that they are effectively trained to undertake social and academic tasks that result in positive outcomes for the students. Some reports show that TAs have difficulty with the intervention and are very confusing and inaccurate during these interventions. This is not the fault of the TA because they should not be the replacement for the actual teacher. The most practical problem associated with heavy reliance on teaching assistants to support the needs of a disabled student is that they are the least qualified yet they are helping students with the most complex learning difficulties. Schools can use their TAs more wisely by demonstrating respect for the them, ongoing training at the school, hiring and assigning, appropriate interaction with the students and staff, appropriate roles and responsibilities, and lastly, supervision and evaluation. Students with disabilities help identify needs for improvement and when the changes are made and there are inclusive learning environments it will create a better school for all the students.
This is my favorite article that I have come across so far. TAs are being misused and it needs to change so everyone can get a better education. Schools need to realize that a TA is another form of support and not just the only support that a student with a disability should receive. Everything that I read was 100% true and it is exactly how i feel. Schools in Rhode Island can become a better learning environment if they are following the proper rules of a TA and if they are not following the proper guidelines then they need to be willing to make some changes. I loved reading the end of the article because having students with disabilities in a classroom is a good way to see if the school is meeting the needs of all of their students. It helps the schools realize what is working and what may not be working in their curriculum.
According to this handbook, a TA can only be evaluated based on the success of the student with a disability. The teacher should be the TAs supervisor and there should be a positive relationship as well as communication with the teacher. TAs should also discuss any problems with the teaching method or the teacher in general with the teacher directly. Whatever is being performed by the TA with the student should be pretty similar to what the teacher is doing in the classroom. The lessons should be originated through the classroom and the TA should not be teaching a brand new lesson for the first time. A TA can assist with testing modifications, assist the student in the library, and monitor and check the students work. They have to collaborate with the teacher and the parents to enhance the students learning. They are not the actual teacher and they should not be put in replace of the teacher. They should be extra support.
This handbook made it extremely clear about the role of a TA. I enjoyed reading the handbook and finding out the rules and policies that a TA actually has to follow. I think TAs are very helpful for special education students, however; I learned that they do not have to only be for students with disabilities. I think TAs are much needed in regular classrooms to help students with disabilities, but again they should not replace the teacher. This was very interesting and I am happy I found this online handbook.
TAs are becoming important in inclusive classrooms. A study of 14 TAs was conducted and the work of them varied from school to school. The collaboration between the teachers and the TAs also varied.
TAs are supposed to help a student with special needs in school with their work and other school situations. In Finland, TAs need 40 study weeks and one study week is 40 hours of work. During this time they gain knowledge about the work environment, support human growth, guide learning, and support functional ability.(<-Education background) Special Education teachers said that TAs were used to spend their time and attention to the student, but sometimes the TA was assigned too demanding tasks and is the least trained person to spend the most amount of time with the most demanding student. The result of the study showed that a central part of the work was assisting an individual pupil during the early years of school while in the older children the time was spent assisting the teacher. TAs would be more valuable if there was more planning, co-operation and organization of the work involved.
This study was not too large. It mentioned a lot of findings that I have read in other articles. They are all very repetitive. I thought the education of the TAs in Finland was pretty interesting. Again, it will be most beneficial if the relationship and organization between the teacher and the TA was there.
Overall Reaction to Your Research
I am so happy i chose this research topic. I think TAs are extremely beneficial for special needs students if they are being used correctly and not just the only teacher to teacher the students. To be completely honest, I never knew that TAs were not being used correctly. There used to be some students with disabilities in my class and the TA would just take them out of the room and they would do their own thing most of the time. The teacher never even spoke with the student. I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for the TA. He/She is supposed to collaborate with the actual teacher and help support the student. He/She should not be the only stability and support for the student. Reading these articles actually amazed me and I leanend something completely new.
How does this research help us identify or refine a strategy to improve schools in Rhode Island?
What I learned in my research can reform schools in Rhode Island. With the knowledge and skills of knowing how to properly place a TA in a position this could benefit the student and the school system as a whole. TAs are a great thing to have if they are being used for the right purpose. I think Rhode Island schools could really benefit from this and this could result in their ranking moving up throughout the years if they start now. Using a TA for the appropriate things could result in success and maybe even improve test scores which in the long run is definitely helping the school. They are a good thing to have on hand and all the schools should get teaching assistants.
Editorial/Opinion:
Galer, K. (2014, February 6). EAs key part of meeting special needs. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.guelphmercury.com/opinion-story/4352232-eas-key-part-of-meeting-special-needs/
Karen Galer has been an educational assistant for 25 years and 15 of those years she spent them in inner city schools. The diverse communities had an influx of students with learning disabilities as well as behavior issues in the schools. Students like this are often included in a regular classroom, but then sent with an educational assistant to either the back of a classroom or into a completely different room so that they do not disrupt other students. According to Galer inclusive classes work better in the younger grades because students and more accepting, however the social skills gap becomes bigger as the students enter higher grades. An educational assistant is supposed to follow a program that was made by the teacher that follows the student's Individual Education Plan. Most of the time, the educational assistant is making up the plan with little to no help by the teacher. At Parkview, the educational teachers and teachers work together as a team as well as become the person that the child can trust. She believes that the school boards need to realize the potential of an educational teacher and use the skills they gained in a more effective way.
This article is very true. Educational teachers went to college to get a degree and are good at what they do. I think it is sad and disappointing that in some schools the teachers and educational teachers do not work together to help a kid with a learning disability. In a way it is kind of disturbing. This article helps back up why we need teaching assistants in classrooms. I believe they are a great thing to have they just need to collaborate with the teacher in order to give the student the help and education he/she needs. I think this could benefit any school not just Rhode Island schools.
Blog:
Hodge, K. (Ed.). (2015, April 1). How Teaching Assisants can make A Real Difference in a classroom. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/apr/01/teaching-assistants-classrooms-research-impact
Teaching assistants (TAs) should supplement rather than replace teachers. They should not be used to make up for the lack of time a teacher spends with a disabled student, but rather allow a teacher to spend more time with these students by supporting the rest of the classroom. According to this article, TAs have the most positive effect around three or four months of extra academic help is their interventions are in small groups and formal. The TA needs to work in a high support structured setting. Interventions usually happen outside of the classroom so it is best if teachers could correlate the content of the interventions with the lessons that they are teaching.
This article makes a lot of good points on how TAs can be successful and work correctly. I love everything about this blog. I have been in a classroom where there was a TA for someone with a learning ability and the teacher did not even speak to the student. She did not want to give the student any attention and made the TA do all the work which is completely wrong and absolutely disgusting. Just following the advice and good tips in the article will help the student and truly make a difference. The main goal is trying to help the student and to allow him to succeed. I think the TA and teacher need to have good collaboration and be on the same page at all times. TAs are extremely important to have in a classroom and they are needed, but it has to be done properly.
Scholarly Journal Article:
Michael F. Giangreco (2013). Teacher Assistant Supports in Inclusive Schools: Research, Practices and Alternatives. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 37, pp 93-106.
http://www.uvm.edu/~cdci/parasupport/reviews/giangreco11.pdf
Teaching assistants (TAs) have become the way to support students with disabilities rather than a way. This is especially happening with students that have severe or low-functioning disabilities like autism, behavior disorders, and multiple disabilities. According to this scholarly article, there are mixed findings about the success of TAs. Some reports show that they are effectively trained to undertake social and academic tasks that result in positive outcomes for the students. Some reports show that TAs have difficulty with the intervention and are very confusing and inaccurate during these interventions. This is not the fault of the TA because they should not be the replacement for the actual teacher. The most practical problem associated with heavy reliance on teaching assistants to support the needs of a disabled student is that they are the least qualified yet they are helping students with the most complex learning difficulties. Schools can use their TAs more wisely by demonstrating respect for the them, ongoing training at the school, hiring and assigning, appropriate interaction with the students and staff, appropriate roles and responsibilities, and lastly, supervision and evaluation. Students with disabilities help identify needs for improvement and when the changes are made and there are inclusive learning environments it will create a better school for all the students.
This is my favorite article that I have come across so far. TAs are being misused and it needs to change so everyone can get a better education. Schools need to realize that a TA is another form of support and not just the only support that a student with a disability should receive. Everything that I read was 100% true and it is exactly how i feel. Schools in Rhode Island can become a better learning environment if they are following the proper rules of a TA and if they are not following the proper guidelines then they need to be willing to make some changes. I loved reading the end of the article because having students with disabilities in a classroom is a good way to see if the school is meeting the needs of all of their students. It helps the schools realize what is working and what may not be working in their curriculum.
Online Magazine/Handbook:
Teacher Assistant Handbook. (2014, September 1). Retrieved December 1, 2015, from https://parkhill.k12.mo.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_62416/File/Human Resources/Teacher Assistant Handbook 2014-2015.pdf
According to this handbook, a TA can only be evaluated based on the success of the student with a disability. The teacher should be the TAs supervisor and there should be a positive relationship as well as communication with the teacher. TAs should also discuss any problems with the teaching method or the teacher in general with the teacher directly. Whatever is being performed by the TA with the student should be pretty similar to what the teacher is doing in the classroom. The lessons should be originated through the classroom and the TA should not be teaching a brand new lesson for the first time. A TA can assist with testing modifications, assist the student in the library, and monitor and check the students work. They have to collaborate with the teacher and the parents to enhance the students learning. They are not the actual teacher and they should not be put in replace of the teacher. They should be extra support.
This handbook made it extremely clear about the role of a TA. I enjoyed reading the handbook and finding out the rules and policies that a TA actually has to follow. I think TAs are very helpful for special education students, however; I learned that they do not have to only be for students with disabilities. I think TAs are much needed in regular classrooms to help students with disabilities, but again they should not replace the teacher. This was very interesting and I am happy I found this online handbook.
Database/Google Scholarly:
Takala, M. (2007), The work of classroom assistants in special and mainstream education in Finland. British Journal of Special Education, 34: 50–57.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8578.2007.00453.x/abstract
TAs are becoming important in inclusive classrooms. A study of 14 TAs was conducted and the work of them varied from school to school. The collaboration between the teachers and the TAs also varied.
TAs are supposed to help a student with special needs in school with their work and other school situations. In Finland, TAs need 40 study weeks and one study week is 40 hours of work. During this time they gain knowledge about the work environment, support human growth, guide learning, and support functional ability.(<-Education background) Special Education teachers said that TAs were used to spend their time and attention to the student, but sometimes the TA was assigned too demanding tasks and is the least trained person to spend the most amount of time with the most demanding student. The result of the study showed that a central part of the work was assisting an individual pupil during the early years of school while in the older children the time was spent assisting the teacher. TAs would be more valuable if there was more planning, co-operation and organization of the work involved.
This study was not too large. It mentioned a lot of findings that I have read in other articles. They are all very repetitive. I thought the education of the TAs in Finland was pretty interesting. Again, it will be most beneficial if the relationship and organization between the teacher and the TA was there.
Overall Reaction to Your Research
I am so happy i chose this research topic. I think TAs are extremely beneficial for special needs students if they are being used correctly and not just the only teacher to teacher the students. To be completely honest, I never knew that TAs were not being used correctly. There used to be some students with disabilities in my class and the TA would just take them out of the room and they would do their own thing most of the time. The teacher never even spoke with the student. I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for the TA. He/She is supposed to collaborate with the actual teacher and help support the student. He/She should not be the only stability and support for the student. Reading these articles actually amazed me and I leanend something completely new.How does this research help us identify or refine a strategy to improve schools in Rhode Island?
What I learned in my research can reform schools in Rhode Island. With the knowledge and skills of knowing how to properly place a TA in a position this could benefit the student and the school system as a whole. TAs are a great thing to have if they are being used for the right purpose. I think Rhode Island schools could really benefit from this and this could result in their ranking moving up throughout the years if they start now. Using a TA for the appropriate things could result in success and maybe even improve test scores which in the long run is definitely helping the school. They are a good thing to have on hand and all the schools should get teaching assistants.